Score
The score is the general layout of a document. Practically every setting that is saved inside the file belongs to a score. The score can be therefore defined as an aggregation of graphical and acoustical elements present in a file. A score can be password protected by accessing the File > Protect menu and specifying the rights a user who does not know the password has. Scroll mode and Page mode It is possible to visualize a score in two different manners. To switch between these, one can use the following: Alternatively, while in the scroll mode, pressing Ctrl+T or Ctrl+Alt+T (Command+T or Command+Alt+T on Mac) automatically brings the page mode on. The scroll mode is the only mode available inside Melody Assistant, and displays staves horizontally, usually with a scroll bar that allows a never ending layout. This system can be used for composing, as it makes navigating inside the score very easy, by being similar to a linear timeline. The scroll mode can be set up to show where a page would end in the printed sheet music, by drawing a vertical (yellow by default) line above the last bar on a page. The page mode is a virtual preview of the printed score, which still allows all data editing options available in the scroll mode. This mode is more complex, in that it has to manage everything that is going to be printed. These items are available once the page mode is active, from the Score > Page mode setup menu. The page mode also allows the use of views. More of this is described under Preparing the score visual layout. Preparing the score visual layout The score appearance and the page setup mostly fall under the first section of the Score menu. It is possible to set up visual elements ranging from distances between staves to headers or footers. Printing Printing a document might sound like an easy task to accomplish. However, the available printing modes and options make this a much more complex process, which can have several advantages over the simple printing of the music, just as seen on the virtual pages. Score global digital effects It is possible to define a little amount of digital effects that will apply to all the staves at once. These effects are not going to interfere with any effects processor present on staves. In the left of the global digital effects setup dialog, there are three options available: the global score volume, which can be also accessed from within the mixer palette, an AGC setting and a noise reduction. Probably the only new effect here is AGC. An abbreviation for "Automatic gain control", AGC is an effect that balances the output gain by amplifying low signals and reducing powerful blasts. However, this setting, as well as the noise reduction, has little to no perceptible effect on the score. On the right, we can see a reverb, a surround and a bass boost. The reverb effect is in fact a feedback delay, whose delay parameter signifies the amount of milliseconds for each feedback response. The surround effect is similar to the delay feature available in the effects processor, having no influence on panning whatsoever. The bass boost contains a frequency parameter and works by amplifying the given frequency range like an equalizer. The set and get default buttons set and reset a default value which is independent on the score. Staves The most common object present on a score is the staff. A staff can be of different types and can contain, in turn, other objects. Key, time and tempo settings Any score has a general key, time and tempo setting. While the key and time setting only affect the initial signatures, the tempo setting, changed after different tempo objects on the score have been created, will modify these tempo modifiers by amplifying their value relative to the change. If, for example, a tempo of 120 is present somewhere on the score while the general tempo value is equal to 90, changing the general tempo to 30 will transform the tempo setting on the score to 40. Break controls Break controls are ways of manipulating the playback of a score by defining the order in which different sections are executed. Using breaks, one can skip, loop or rewind sequences in any desired way. Breaks can be set up by the use of break symbols (which are either barline symbols, volta brackets, segno or coda definitions, or text instructions), or simply by a manually written list of bar sequences that should be played. thumbnail|480px|right|Editing brakes The breaks edit dialog displays a list of all effective and decorative breaks. An effective (active) break is a break who has an influence over the playback (such as a repeat barline or a "da coda" instruction). Decorative breaks are breaks who only have a graphical purpose (for example a double barline) and do not directly influence the playback process. Note that active breaks can also act as decorative breaks if they are disabled. The type field contains a list of all available break types, which can be customized in the fields below. The related to bar textbox allows the user to specify where on the score the selected break will be located. Note that when changing the related bar for a break, the break list reorders according to the new information, so that it always keeps sorted by bar relation numbers. In the text field, any text string can be specified and the text will be displayed on the score above the barline. Some break types are defined only as text, which means that one can modify the default string, adding own instructions. An important fact to remember is that $[ and $] represent volta symbols, $S represents a segno and $C represents the coda sign. The barline color field is self-explanatory. The action field can contain several values, each depending on the break type. Usually this is where a break can be activated or deactivated. The position box is also self-explanatory and can take only four values: At the beginning of the bar, After the clef, After the margin, At the end of the bar. Activation specifies what to happen after the condition is reached (activate Fine or Coda Jump), and the when field refers to the condition that is required for the break to occur. The time number checkboxes are only active when the "When" list is set to "according to array" and usually refers to volta symbols. The played bar numbers is a representation of the final result given by the breaks list. In this box, the effective bar numbers that are going to be played are shown, using a dash when more bars are played in a row. As an example, "1-5, 3, 2-8" means that the score is going to play from bar 1 to bar 5, then play bar 3 alone and after that go to bar 2 and play until the last bar (8) is reached. If the impose list option is not activated, this list will be read-only, being generated by the break symbols present in the score. However, if impose list is selected, the program will ignore (but not delete) any previously defined break settings and listen only to the played bar numbers list. Free objects Views Targets